Reckless
by shakeitsalome
Summary: The newest woman on the main roster finds herself making waves she never intended to. AJ Styles/OC/Baron Corbin


**A/N:** Yes I'm back! I needed a nice break from this site. For the past several months I've posted my fics on tumblr, and am going to start posting them here as a backup. (My tumblr is unabashedwwesmut if you'd like to check it out) This is part one of a long fic that I've already finished, so updates will be regular. :)

* * *

 **Part 1**

"Are ya excited?"

Bottle of water halfway to her mouth, Kim Miller turned and smiled at the sight of Becky, Charlotte, and Naomi entering her dressing room. She barely had time to set her water down before Becky caught her in an exuberant hug. Laughing, she returned the embrace, greeting Charlotte and Naomi with one as well. She reached for her water again, knowing by now that it would do little to calm the butterflies in her stomach, but having no clue as to what else she could do.

"I'm a nervous wreck," she admitted. Her debut on Smackdown Live would happen in about – she looked at her watch and groaned – five hours and she was already anxious. No one aside from the other women involved knew about her planned run-in. Which was just how the higher ups wanted it. As such, she had been all but locked in the tiny dressing room since arriving at the arena two hours before. She didn't understand all the secrecy. She'd been to random live events and even TV tapings many times over the past few months, as well as still appearing at NXT shows.

"It'll be fine," Naomi promised. "The audiences already love you."

"They were chanting for you just last night on Raw," Charlotte pointed out.

"Raw fans are gonna be _pissed_ ," Becky laughed. "But seriously it's fine. When ya get out there you'll forget everything."

Kim knew that was true. Taking a sip of her water, she recalled the butterflies before her first NXT live event. And the butterflies before her first NXT taping. Truth be told, she'd had butterflies before every show since first stepping into a ring for the WWE. "I know," she murmured, sinking onto the small couch provided by the arena. Between it and the little desk she had commandeered for her makeup and ring gear, there was barely room for her to turn around, especially with three other women with her. Smiling as Charlotte and Becky squeezed in on either side of her, she shook her head. "You guys are the best."

"Of course we are." Charlotte reached to flip her hair back, then thought better of it and dropped her arm around Kim's shoulder. "And now you're one of us."

"One of us, one of us, one of us," Naomi and Becky chanted softly.

"Just focus on what you have to do. Don't think about the thousands of people in the arena, or the millions watching on TV—" Charlotte clapped a hand over her mouth.

Kim felt her stomach plummet, and stared at the blonde. "Really?!"

"Ignore her," Naomi insisted. She moved to sit on the couch, then instead flopped across their three laps, paying no attention to their sounds of protest. "Like Becky said, all of that will disappear when you go through that curtain."

"And then you'll be kicking ass," Charlotte added. "So you won't even be thinking about the crowd anyway."

"Don't ya mean kicking _lass_?" Becky asked, grinning.

"Don't go there, Lynch," Naomi warned. Patting Kim's cheek, she rolled off their laps and hopped to her feet. "Now c'mon, let's go work on our bit."

"I'm not allowed to leave," Kim pointed out.

"That's ridiculous." Charlotte pushed Kim to her feet then stood as well. "You've got to be allowed to go down to the ring and get some practicing in."

"But—"

"Don't worry, I'll take the blame." Naomi tossed her hair back and opened the door. "Besides, it's not like you've never been at a show before. They're just paranoid someone's going to spoil the surprise."

Urged along by Charlotte and Becky, Kim followed Naomi out into the hall. Even though she'd been at SmackDown and Raw shows before, she was still unused to the hum of activity. Once they rounded the corner and were in the main corridor it was impossible to think. Crew members were setting up the backstage interview area. Just audible among the clatter of equipment and conversations was the steady hum of a sewing machine. She recognized a few of the faces they passed.

"Oh yeah! Kim is here! Kim is here!" A pair of arms caught her by the waist and lifted, spinning her in the center of the hallway. Her first instinct was to slam an elbow but she quickly recognized the voice and, grinning, looped an arm around Sami Zayn's neck as he continued to spin her.

"Sami!" she yelped when he squeezed her tight. Slightly dizzy when he set her down, she grabbed his arm for stability and glared up at him. "Are you going to do that every time I'm at SmackDown?"

Sami grinned, tousling her hair. "Yep."

"You're terrible," she muttered, giving him a quick hug. "It's good to see you, too."

"You debuting tonight?"

"Ha, I wish," she snorted. "Just came to hang out with the girls."

"They better put you on SmackDown," Sami said.

"Talk to your Papa H?" Kim suggested with a sweet smile. "And I've gotta go, we're going down to the ring to work on some moves."

"Catch you later," he said, tousling her hair once more. "Oh, wait," he added when she began to walk away. Once she'd turned to face him, he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Corbin's out there."

Of course he was. She shrugged lightly. She would have to get used to it. And so would Baron "I can deal. See you."

"You and Baron?" Charlotte asked softly as they continued making their way to the Gorilla. The room had already been set up, and when they walked through the curtain Kim saw audio techs connecting headsets to the monitors.

"It was a brief thing." Kim waved to Hunter, then followed Becky and Naomi out into the arena. "Barely a fling, really. Zayn's just a worrywart."

"Was it serious?"

Kim stopped at the top of the ramp. Down in the ring, she could see him. He was going through moves with Kevin Owens. Her heart began to thud nervously in her chest. "No," she finally murmured, forcing herself to look away from him. "It wasn't."

Charlotte looked at her skeptically, but nodded as though she believed her.

They approached the ring, Kim's feet feeling like lead with each step. She paused at the apron, eyes on her former boyfriend. Fling, she reminded herself. He'd never been her boyfriend. He and Kevin were locked up in the center of the ring, and she could just hear Kevin's voice describing what they would do next.

Baron lifted his head and Kim quickly looked away before their eyes could meet. She sensed a chill in, and heard the thud of bodies meeting the mat. When she dared a glance, he was looking straight at her. He rolled to the edge of the ring and beneath the bottom rope, eyes never leaving her as he exited the ring and straightened up. "Kim."

"Baron."

"Hey, we're not finished," Kevin called from the ring.

"Later," Baron said. "I've got to go do something."

"What?" Kevin asked, hopping out of the ring and grabbing a towel that was resting on the apron.

Avoid me, Kim thought, finally looking away from Baron. She softly returned Kevin's greeting, aware of _his_ eyes on her. Bouncing the toe of one shoe against the floor, she waited until she heard their voices fade as they went up the ramp before heaving a sigh.

"Not serious?" Charlotte whispered beside her.

"Not to him," Kim replied sadly. Then, forcing a smile, she bounded up the steps and into the ring. "C'mon, let's do this!"

She supposed her debut had gone over well. The cheers of the crowd, which had started when she'd rolled into the ring during the women's match to attack Charlotte and Naomi, and reached a crescendo when she'd thrown back the hood of her black sweatshirt, still rang in her ears as she left Gorilla. She had pre-taped a segment that would air after commercial break, giving Dasha the reason for her attack, and was now going to be idle until it was time to leave.

"You looked great out there."

Kim skidded to a stop at the sound of Baron's voice. Turning, she saw him leaning against one of the crates pushed to the wall. She supposed the joy of her debut had kept her from seeing him. Moistening her lips, she pushed back the memories of all the other times he had told her she looked great out in the ring. "Thanks."

"So you're officially Team Blue now?" he asked. Pushing away from the crate with ease, he moved towards her.

"I'll be getting the logo tattooed on my ass tomorrow," she joked. This was easy. She could do this. Talk about work. Keep it professional. Don't think about the past. Focus on the future. They had once been friends. They could be friends again – _No_ , she told herself. They couldn't be friends again. Friends had led to—

"I've missed you, Kimmy."

Blinking in surprise, she stared at him. He was ready to go into the ring, save for the knit beanie. She recognized it as one she'd made for him. He had so many, did he know it was the one she'd given him? And did he really miss her? Or did he miss how convenient she had been? Dropping her gaze, she gave her head a little shake.

"Kimmy—"

"Don't," she whispered, finally meeting his eyes. "Please don't bring this up now."

"When?" he asked. "You haven't answered my calls or replied to my texts in three months."

"I guess you know, since you're the king of avoiding someone."

"Kimmy," he sighed.

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with me? You said that, remember? Because—"

"I was wrong."

That gave her pause. Pressing her lips together, she inhaled deeply. "What?"

"Seeing you out there…" He smiled, reaching for her. "It reminded me of how much fun we had together. And it made me realize how much I've missed you."

"Baron… Damnit," she muttered. It felt natural to be in his arms again. The disparity in their heights had never bothered her. Or him. He felt the same, miles of lean muscle and endless strength. He smelled the same. And, when he lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, she felt herself start to cave. They'd had fun together. Lots of fun. In and out of the bedroom. Guided by him, she backed up to a crate. Before she could tell herself not to, she leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. He turned at the last second and she froze as their lips met.

The next thing she knew he was pulling her up. Her legs instantly went around his waist for support, hands gripping his biceps. His lips and tongue were lurid reminders of all the things she had tried to forget over the past six months.

"You miss this," Baron told her between kisses.

"No," she disagreed with a shake of her head, even as her fingers bunched in the hem of his shirt and pushed it upward. "I don't."

"You grinding on my dick right now says you do." His next kiss was harsher. Her hands flailed, grabbing at his shoulders as she was pushed against the wall.

Maybe she had missed this. The fervency. The need. She rolled her hips, hating her body for wanting him so badly but unable to stop herself. Then, when his lips moved to her throat, she stared at the ceiling and cold reality began to seep in. But she remained silent, knowing that no amount of words would stop him. She had to try, though. "Baron… Stop," she said, pushing at his shoulders.

"Why?" he asked, tongue finding that spot just beneath her ear that sent tremors down her spine.

"Because," she whined, clenching her eyes shut. "I can't do this—"

He pressed his hips to hers, pinning her more securely against the wall. She involuntarily shivered. "You sure about that?"

"Baron, stop," she insisted, voice unintentionally louder this time. His hands were on her thighs, squeezing. They slid up, fingers stroking all the right places. She felt herself start to give in, knowing he could make her want him.

"I believe the lady said to stop."

Kim's eyes flew open at the sound of another voice in the hallway. She felt Baron tense, then suddenly he was pushing away from her. She barely had time to catch herself and slumped drunkenly along the wall. The stirrings of desire she had felt were replaced with dread, and she carefully rose to her feet. She couldn't see around Baron's large frame but was afraid to move.

"Who asked you?" Baron sneered. He shifted, which allowed Kim to see the man who'd intruded.

AJ Styles. Shit, she thought, closing her eyes briefly. She had never really interacted with the man before. They'd been introduced during Mania week, and she had seen him now and then backstage at SmackDown shows she went to. She could count on one hand the times he had spoken to her after their first meeting. She opened her eyes, biting the inside of her lips. She had thought him laidback and personable when she'd met him.

He didn't look so laidback now. He was in his gear, and she remembered he was in the main event. His expression was impassive. His blue eyes were darker than she remembered, although at the moment she couldn't recall the exact shade of his eyes. He tugged at his gloves, the movement bringing her attention to his exposed shoulders and biceps, which flexed with each minute movement. Although he was considerably shorter than Baron, she had the sudden feeling that AJ could take the taller man down with no trouble whatsoever.

"Nobody asked me," he said, his voice even. "But when a lady says stop, you're supposed to."

"It's none of your business, Styles." Baron squared his shoulders. "So fuck off, alright?"

AJ's head tilted slightly. Kim, still leaning against the wall, was surprised to find he was looking at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, carefully stepping away from Baron. She could feel his anger and half-expected him to grab her arm to keep her with him, but he did nothing. "I'm fine."

"You sure, sweetie?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, hugging herself once she'd stepped away from the wall. "Thank you."

"This is bullshit," she heard Baron mutter. Looking at him, she watched him push his hands through his hair. Then his gaze swiveled in her direction. "I'll find you later so we can talk."

She didn't bother to reply. He was already leaving, his stride easy and casual as ever. Releasing her breath slowly, she turned to look at AJ. "Thanks again."

"Is he a, uh… Friend of yours?" he asked, looking beyond her.

It occurred to her that he was making sure Baron was really leaving. Surprised by the action, she glanced over her shoulder to see Baron rounding a corner. "He used to be."

"You sure you're okay?"

When Kim turned back it was to find him looking at her. Oh, right, she realized dumbly. His eyes were that really, really light blue. "I'm sure," she promised. "And thanks. Again. Now I need to—"

"Fix your shirt?" he suggested.

"Ah, hell," she groaned, looking down to see her tank top had been pushed down so it nearly exposed her breast. When had that happened? Tugging it back into place, she made a face. "Sorry about that. And I need to go, so… Thanks." God, she'd said that at least half a dozen times by now. "I'll see you around, AJ."

"Yeah," he said, flashing a brief smile as she headed away. "See you around."


End file.
